Boilers Fly High Into Homecoming Affair With Michigan

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Fresh off their trouncing of the Missouri Tigers in their first true road game, the Purdue Boilermakers are returning to West Lafayette this Saturday for homecoming.

In doing so, they will take on Jim Harbaugh and the #8 Michigan Wolverines to open Big Ten play.

"Coach Harbaugh is as good as it gets when it comes to coaching. We gotta try and go all out and win this one," says Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm. "The great thing is we get to come back home in front of our fans, play in homecoming weekend."

Purdue blitzed the Missouri Tigers, who play in the SEC, 35-3 on the shoulders of a superb passing performance from junior David Blough, who was 22-for-28 throwing for 187 yards and a touchdown in his first start of the season. Sophomore quarterback Elijah Sindelar took over late adding another 85 yards passing for one touchdown but also had an interception.

"I think David did a very good job. He was much better this week at running and getting a few first downs, not turning the ball over, which is huge," Brohm continued on his quarterbacks. "We brought in Elijah. I like the way he performed. He moved us down the field."

Brohm says they will continue to use the two quarterbacks as they see fit saying they "aren't afraid to use two quarterbacks." Both Blough and Sindelar will face one of the toughest defenses in the country in the Michigan Wolverines Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium. Coach Brohm says this Michigan defense is the type that is fast and athletic and will not give up easy completions.

This will be the first time in five years that the Boilermakers and the Wolverines will square off in West Lafayette. The last time they met at Ross-Ade ended with a 44-13 shellacking of Purdue by Michigan.

Having won two of their first three games, expectations have begun to rise around the Boilermaker football program as they enter Big Ten play. Brohm says they try not to focus on the outside expectations too much.

"We don't talk specifically a whole lot about that. With us, we try to simplify it down. Every week it's about trying to raise your level of play," Brohm added. "If you played good the week before, that's great. But now you've set the bar a little bit higher. You have to go out and try to improve upon that."

Kickoff for Saturday's homecoming affair with Michigan is set for 4:00 p.m. EDT on FOX.